Dissertation Research: The Failure of Nation: The State, Dependency and Political Contestation in the Maldives

9319870 Comaroff这个项目涉及一位来自芝加哥大学的文化人类学学生的论文研究。 学生将调查马尔代夫的政治冲突。 使用参与观察和深入访谈的民族志技术，学生将研究当地国家如何通过对宗教权威的主张来合法化其行动，以及这种主张如何受到当地魔法和其他非正式宗教的宗教从业者的质疑。 这项研究是重要的，因为在许多国家的政治权力是合法的宗教授权或合法性的官方索赔。 我们对这种合法化是如何产生的理解的进步，以及它是如何抵御反索赔的，可以帮助我们处理其他地方的政治宗教冲突。 该项目还将通过培训一名学生掌握社会科学技术和南亚重要地区的区域研究来提高我们的科学能力。 ***

9319870 Comaroff This project involves the dissertation research of a student in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago. The student will investigate political conflict in the Maldives. Using ethnographic techniques of participant observation and in- depth interviews, the student will examine how the local state legitimates its actions by claims to religious authority, and how that claim is contested by local religious practitioners of magic and other informal religions. This research is important because political power in many states is legitimated by official claims of religious authorization or legitimacy. Advances in our understanding of how this legitimization comes about, and how it is defended against counter-claims, can help us deal with like situations of political-religious conflict in other places. The project will also advance our scientific capacity by training a student in social science techniques and in regional studies of the important area of South Asia. ***